Australia has one of the highest rates of asthma in the world and the incidence is increasing. Safety of prolonged asthma drug use has been questioned, so why hasn't the only treatment claiming to understand how to overcome the breathing difficulty associated with asthma - without relying on drugs - been officially tested? Does the proof just require some corporate philanthropy to allow a trial?

A James Asthma Action Group has been formed to help asthma sufferers breathe easier about using the method and to help medical practitioners be more confident about accepting the procedure as a legitimate treatment.

GREG ELLIS reports on the legacy left by the late Dr Alexander James, who pioneered the treatment in Russia and Wollongong; and his daughter Nina James Marzi's lifelong quest for it to be tested and proven for the benefit of asthma sufferers around the world.

Businesses urged to fund trial proponents of an innovative drug-free asthma treatment practised in the Illawarra for more than half a century have called on corporate support to help prove its benefits medically.
A group of Wollongong women believe thousands of asthma sufferers, reluctant to try an unproved method, would benefit if it was medically endorsed.

It all began in 1920 when Russian doctor James Alexander, who was treating Cossack soldiers who had lost limbs during the war, discovered certain exercises helped asthmatics breathe more easily.

Around two decades later he migrated to Australia and settled in Thirroul where he further developed the unique drug-free asthma method that grew in popularity until his death in 1976.

During the past six decades thousands of Australians have sworn by the technique but despite the exhaustive efforts of Dr James and his daughter Nina James Marzi, who carried on where her father left off, it still hasn't been thoroughly assessed or accepted by medical authorities.

Nevertheless, Mrs Marzi remains optimistic and hopes her dream to see the drug-free asthma treatment tested and proven will become a reality.

She also hopes her father will posthumously receive the recognition he so justly deserved. Mrs Marzi and the newly formed James Asthma Action Group - a group of women trained in the method - have called on philanthropically minded businesses to help fund a trial which they believe would prove it as a legitimate treatment once and for all.

They also believe the trial would help raise public awareness so that more asthma sufferers could find relief.
"The main purpose of our group is to try and keep this method available for future generations," practitioner Maureen Lavis said.
Mrs Marzi said it was important for the trial to be conducted correctly.

Until now the only fault in some critics' eyes has been that the treatment doesn't involve drugs. Mrs Lavis said in most cases people were able to reduce the amount of drugs they took but that was an individual's choice."Obviously, if we can get this method proved, that is going to be a big weight off a lot of minds," she said. The ultimate dream would be for the method to be recognised by the medical fraternity to the point where doctors recommended the treatment and referred patients to trained practitioners.

The James Asthma Method has become more widely recognised by some doctors but without a trial proving its legitimacy many are unlikely to prescribe it as a treatment. "I think there are a lot more doctors out there now looking at alternative methods too but there are a lot of doctors out there who don't," Mrs Lavis said.

Dr James practised the innovative technique based on principles of circulation, breathing exercises, diet and massaging techniques, in Australia from the 1940s. His philosophy was to never put anything into the body unless it was absolutely necessary.

Mrs Marzi, now busy teaching other people the technique, said her father wanted people to have the choice of drug therapy or a natural remedy. "He didn't want to push his method," she said. "He only wanted to say that every man deserves a choice. And asthmatics must know that choice exists."

Members of the action group feel now would be an appropriate time to conduct the trial because the incidence of asthma is increasing and concerns have been raised about possible overuse of medication. Patients undergo two weeks of fairly intense tuition and the technique takes them around two months to perfect.

Mrs Marzi said most reported amazing results within 14 days."This is the only method that really opens the chest," she said. "It mobilises the chest." Mrs Marzi said the treatment gave many asthma sufferers the chance for a normal life.

Many patients who felt incapacitated before undergoing the treatment often had boasted about the positive effects it had on their whole body. "It can help reduce migraines and many other things," she said. And there is no age limit for the treatment. Mrs Marzi's patients have ranged in age from six months to 82 years.

Books about the treatment, Drug Free Method of Treating Asthma by Nina James Marzi and Method of Treating Asthma, Theory and Practice by Dr Alexander, are available in public libraries. But the James Asthma Action Group recommends that people do not read and treat themselves.

'I really thought I was going to die'

Woonona grandmother Nancy Scott's sudden interest in housework has caught the attention of her family and friends.
For the first time in four years she actually looks forward to doing the housework.
Mrs Scott, a recent recipient of the Dr Alexander James drug-free asthma treatment, said the results had transformed her life.
She started using puffers four years ago but decided to look for an alternative when the level and strength of the medication she was taking gradually increased.
It seemed every time she caught a cold her asthma got worse.
Mrs Scott decided to approach James Asthma Method practitioner Patricia Bohackyj recently when a cold meant she could hardly breathe.
"I really thought I was going to die," she said.
"I was frightened to go to bed at night. I was just a wreck."
Mrs Scott's treatment began four weeks ago.
Since then she has managed to cut her medication down from four puffs of a preventer a day and a reliever as needed, to one puff at night.
"They don't tell you to come off it," she said.
"They can't do that."
Mrs Scott's relatives, including husband Ronald, said her general health had improved and her 11 grandchildren had commented about how her hair and skin looked better.
She said even her doctor had noticed a difference. Mrs Scott has no doubts the James breathing method exercises made that difference.
"I couldn't bend down," she said. "I couldn’t even cross the street. I got to the stage where I couldn't do shopping or anything because I couldn't walk fast enough."
Mrs Scott already finds it easier to do housework.
The treatment has involved regular breathing exercises every three hours.
It also involves a healthy diet with fresh fruit figuring prominently.
Mrs Scott realised the treatment was a long-term process and looked forward to continued improvement.
She feels the breathing exercises would also help with other conditions.

Grandmother tells of boy's remarkable improvement

During the first two years of life Andrew Dickson visited hospital with asthma-related symptoms on at least a dozen occasions.
Andrew would constantly use a nebuliser at home and when his asthma became more severe his grandmother-carer Carol Quinn would take him to hospital.
"The nebuliser on its own just wasn't enough," Mrs Quinn said.
Concerned about his health, Mrs Quinn took Andrew to see Nina James Marzi just before his third birthday.
As a karate instructor and very health conscious, Mrs Quinn was concerned about regularly giving a young child steroids.
"They were saying to me at the hospital that he needed to go on preventative medicine for asthma," she said.
"But I didn't like the idea of that. I thought if there was an alternative I certainly wanted to try that. I am not saying that would have necessarily been the way I would have ended up going if it hadn't worked. But I certainly wanted to give every other avenue attention."
Mrs Quinn has no doubts that some people may have to use preventers with steroids but with Andrew the alternative approach seemed to be working.
She knew about Dr Alexander James' drug-free treatment from an article she had read and an uncle who used the method while dying from emphysema.
"When he did the treatment he certainly said he could breathe a lot easier," she said.
Mrs Quinn said the breathing exercises didn't immediately stop Andrew from getting asthma but she noticed it became less severe.
Immediately before the treatment he still made regular visits to hospital. Since seeing Mrs Marzi he hasn't.
Mrs Quinn said since the treatment began he had only had asthma once where she actually felt the need to give him any medication.
Over the past 16 months there had definitely been a remarkable difference.
As a precautionary measure Andrew always takes a puffer to pre-school but he hasn't had to use it. Before the treatment his activities were restricted when he had breathing difficulties.
Now he lives an active childhood with weekly activities including dancing lessons, swimming, bike riding and running with the Kembla Joggers.
Mrs Quinn, who considers herself to be fairly fit, said even she had noticed the benefits of doing the breathing exercises with Andrew every night.
Her lung capacity had definitely increased.
"It strengthens the muscle in the lungs," she said. "You can breathe more deeply. I think it teaches people a more correct breathing method."

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